Wilderness survival

“There will be times when standing alone feels too hard, too scary, and we’ll doubt our ability to make our way through the uncertainty. Someone, somewhere, will say, ‘Don’t do it. You don’t have what it takes to survive the wilderness.’ This is when you reach deep into your wild heart and remind yourself, ‘I am the wilderness.’” ~Brene Brown

Not long after college, I had a job in reference book publishing. Every weekday for nearly five years, I took a bus downtown to an office in Detroit. As much as I enjoyed book production and the friends I made at the company, something was missing. I wasn’t writing.

So I took a chance and quit my job.

I’d always dreamed of a career in journalism, but full-time jobs at newspapers were hard to land at that time. In those days, working from home wasn’t as common as it is now. So my decision to start freelancing felt risky, scary, and lonely at first. I had to get out from behind a desk to meet local editors, polish my interview skills, and write a variety of newspaper and magazine stories. After a while, patience and persistence paid off. I started getting regular assignments and weekly columns of my own.

Most of all, I loved the work. The tough decision to quit my publishing job changed my life in many positive ways — and I’m glad I found the courage to make the change. ~CL

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